Proof
by Shufuku
Summary: Yoh Asakura and Anna Kyoyama come from very different pasts, but must set aside their disputes to solve some of Tokyo's most grueling crime cases. And they only have each other and their ability to talk to the dead to assist them. Will they be the P.S.I.A.'s greatest team, or will they just get in each other's way? (R&R PLEASE!)
1. The Meeting

_-1- The Meeting_

* * *

The Mini Cooper Convertible screeched to a halt in the middle of the busy Tokyo Boulevard and was thrust into reverse, executing a perfect parallel parking maneuver in between two other cars. A young woman stepped out of the vehicle, flipping her dirty blond hair and marched across the street and onto the sidewalk ignoring oncoming traffic as if knowing that they were going to stop for her anyway. Special Agent Anna Kyoyama stormed through the door of Public Security Intelligence Agency (P.S.I.A.) and practically ran through the main hallway, almost toppling over people and co-workers alike. Those who saw her coming knew to stay clear of her when she was in this state. She had instilled a special kind of respect in each and every one of them.

She was not in a good mood.

After two years—TWO YEARS—of successfully solving case after case pretty much single-handedly, she gets a call from her boss saying that he: _  
_

_"…have your partner in the office with me and should come by ASAP to meet him. He's a great guy." _

There was no way in Hell that she was going to be silent about this. What did she need a partner for? The thought almost made her want to spit. All she knew about this mystery man was that his name was Yoh Asakura, he was twenty-two, and he was from Izumo.

Izumo of all places…

What did he have to offer her?

"Izumo is nothing but grass and shrines," she was mumbling to herself as she rounded the corner in the direction of the commissioner's office. "This is Tokyo. And I don't need the pampered spoiled rich son of the Asakura family breathing down my neck every waking moment."

She stopped at a door at the end of the hallway. In bold letters: Commissioner En Tao.

She didn't knock.

To her left, sat the secretary's desk. There sat Jun Tao, oldest daughter to the boss. Anna's sudden entrance startled her, almost making her knock over a stack of paper.

"U-um, wait a minute Kyoyama-san. The Commissioner is…"

"He's expecting me," she snapped back unintentionally. Jun was just in the cross-fire of her anger at the moment. She didn't mean to give her a quick retort. It was her idiotic father whom she was angry with. She would need to apologize for being cross…and maybe ask for forgiveness for accidentally coming across his desk and attempting to strangle him. That was usually how their relationship had been since she started her job there. Yes, En Tao was her undisputed authority, but she was good at her job, almost too good. And he, along with many others, had to respect her for that. And it wasn't like she didn't have mutual gratitude for the old man. It was just she challenged him with what she felt were fair questions. And sometimes, she would come across as disrespectful. Not really her fault…

She didn't knock on the Commissioner's door either. She made eye-contact with him through the translucent glass that surrounded his office space. En immediately rose to his feet, fully prepared to hear a verbal onslaught come from the lips of his fiery subordinate.

But her approach was surprisingly calmer than he had first thought.

Her eyes immediately struck the young man sitting in the chair next to the Commissioner's desk who scrambled to his feet when he heard the door burst open. He had long black hair that went down to the small of his back, almost as long as hers. His eyes were dark and calm and his demeanor was suave in a sense, fitting for the suit and tie he had on. But even though his disposition was a lot more pleasant than she had first imagined, it was all she was expecting from a snobby rich boy.

He cautiously smiled at her, "Hello, how are you?"

She said nothing to him, calculating her choice of words. She was debating on whether or not to cuss him out for trying to be chummy with her. He should know just by looking at her, that she was by no means, happy to see either of them. Was he an idiot or something?

Eventually, she dismissed the thought entirely. It wasn't worth the telling off she would hear from the Commissioner.

She turned her attention to En, "You want to tell me what this is about?"

Her rather extensive entrance put an awkward atmosphere in the room, but the boss cleared his throat and gestured her to the seat next to the young man. She was reluctant at first, but she slid into the chair, slightly eyeing her would-be partner out of her peripheral.

The Commissioner cleared his throat again, "Listen Anna, I know you have clearly built up a very prestigious career by yourself over the past couple of years…"

"Clearly," she reiterated crossing her arms over her chest. That made her boss' brow furrow.

"Look, we all know what you're capable of, but you can only do so much by yourself. That's why we brought in Agent Asakura here."

She didn't even bat an eye in the guy's direction. Her gaze was placed firmly on En.

She combated his reasoning,"If what you say about my work is true, then what makes you think I need a partner now? I've been able to handle myself efficiently out on the field. No problem—"

"No, not exactly," En cut her off, and doing so made her glare at him. Even En found Anna Kyoyama to be quite frightening. Even after two years, he looks in hindsight, debating on whether or not hiring her was a good idea.

He started again after faltering, "...the O.I.U exists as a team, and even though I've let you run amok out there leading crime investigations like a free-lance Sherlock Holmes, the stability of having a partner is essential. Our organization is too small to have solo players. I don't need my lead investigator on the field alone. Plus, you know how important it is to find someone else with our unique talents. The only reason you weren't given a partner yet is because we are few and far in between. It was only a matter of time before someone came along."

She sighed out of frustration. She couldn't shake the truth in his words. The Occult Investigations Unit was a group of P.S.I.A. agents with the innate ability to speak to the dead. Finding someone of such caliber was hard to come by anyway. Most people with a gift as such wouldn't tell anyone out of shame. Growing up with an almost fairytale-like ability would be tormenting if closed-minded people were to know about it. And for them to decide to use their power for good, go through rigorous training, and actually make their way onto the team was a huge achievement.

But even so, it was because of this reason that Anna was so prideful of her accomplishments. She had her sob story growing up as an orphan, but she decided to make the best of it and wound up one of the best operatives in the O.I.U. What would she need a partner for after all that she had accomplished? And on top of that, the first person they pick out of the bunch of potentials is a snobby rich boy she could hardly relate with from Izumo.

Well, as much as she opposed having a partner so late in the game, there were some good things in having someone paired up with her. Being who she was, she had to look on the bright side of everything. If she were ever in a tight spot, having a partner watching her back would help. She could recall the many situations in her career where she was staring down the barrel of a gun or barely evading a knife and narrowly escaping with her life. Having someone who she could trust would greatly lower her chances of winding up in a hospital bed. And she hated hospitals. What good would she be to Tokyo or any other place for that matter if she were dead, anyway?

"I don't like this, En," she muttered from the corner of her mouth.

"I know you don't kid," he implored. "… but you're just going to have to swallow it like everyone else on the field. You're no exception. Even the great Sherlock had a partner." he looked at the young man sitting across from her. "I evaluated Mr. Asakura myself. He passed his training with flying colors with similar qualifications such as you, Anna. I think if you give him a chance, I'm sure the two of you will be the best team to come out of the Tokyo O.I.U in in a long time."

She decided to look at him.

Asakura was smiling at her again in a feeble attempt to lighten the mood.

She frowned. Maybe if he was an eye-sore, she would hate him more, but he wasn't. In fact, he was far from an eye-sore now that she took a second look at him. The thought of accepting that he was actually good-looking made her stomach churn slightly. She rebuked herself for even thinking that.

She turned her circumstances in her head over and over again, and eventually, she gave up.

She sighed again, shaking her head in unmarked disapproval, "…fine, fine."

En smiled happily, glad that she was able to see things his way. That was a rarity. Normally when she came stomping into his office, it was always a complaint of some sort, and he would always give her a half-hearted answer out of shear bewilderment of how intelligent she was. She wasn't the kind of person he could give a half-baked answer to. That was what he liked most about her, and at the same time, he despised it about her. She just never took "no" for an answer. But to his surprise, she took this situation surprisingly well.

Commissioner En rose form his seat, "Good, now why don't you two take the weekend off, get acquainted with one another, yeah? There's a nice café a few blocks away from here. Great lattes…"

Anna ignored him and rose from her seat and started towards the door. She could hear Agent Asakura acknowledge him on her way out.

"Yes sir. Thank you. Have a good evening."

It was a simple, _I'm sorry I yelled at you, _to Jun, and she was out the door, heading back to her car. Her walk was slower than her entry, but was still intentional. She was hopefully trying to gain some distance from her rather annoying associate. She knew that Asakura was walking close behind her.

"Um, Miss Kyoyama…"

His voice was husky and even-toned. And frankly, she didn't even know why she was noting it. Maybe, it was the profiler in her; to jot down random facts about a person.

Whatever.

It didn't matter. She just needed to make it to her car and she would be home free as long as he didn't bring up—

"I was wondering if we could use the time we had to get acquainted. That café on the corner doesn't sound like a bad idea in fact."

She rolled her eyes.

Like Hell she would. Being alone in a café with him was the furthest thing from her mind. The load of laundry she had left in the washer machine was deemed more of a priority. If she didn't hurry home, they would sour.

She made it to the front door and out onto the concrete steps that lead up to the building before she gave him an answer. She swiveled around on her heels to face him and almost bumped foreheads with him because he was walking so close to her from behind. He stumbled backwards on the uneven asphalt, but it didn't faze her.

"Listen Asakura, I don't like you or this situation that I have unfortunately found myself in, but I need to make something clear to you…" she pointed a stern finger at him. "…YOU are from Izumo. THIS is Tokyo—my turf. I don't care how you were taught or how you did things back home. While we are partners, you listen to what I say, when I say it. No doing things on your own, no solo checks, no nothing. Do you understand me?"

She practically growled her orders at him, but he only returned a smile.

"Yes mam. Understood."

She could feel the vein on her forehead throb. She about-faced and left him standing on the stairs. She finally got to her car across the street and slammed the door shut as she plopped into the driver's seat, mentally exhausted.

That smile of his was going to be the death of her.

_Calm down Anna…_

She started her car and sped off.

A twenty minute drive across town just to hear news like that. A simple phone call would have sufficed. En owed her gas money.

Her drop-top had the wind blowing her hair about her face and the Yoko Kanno coming from her radio evened out her mood.

Well, at least he wasn't ugly. And jumping to conclusions about his family and him being a snobby rich boy was a bit immature, but that point couldn't be ignored. Regardless of someone's upbringing, the thing that mattered most is what they do with their present time. And from her analysis, her new partner seemed to be doing something right. She didn't know exactly what, but it had to be something good. Otherwise, the Commissioner wouldn't have picked him. She argued with the boss a lot, but she only worked for him because she trusted his judgment.

_Yoh Asakura…_

Funny name. It'll take some getting used to.

…_please be a decent man. That's all I ask._

* * *

Agent Yoh Asakura watched as his future partner in the O.I.U sped off down the road until she was completely out of view.

He chuckled under his breath as he stepped onto the sidewalk and made his way towards his own car, "I guess that's a no on the coffee then."

His first impression of Anna Kyoyama exceeded all of his expectations. Asakura was no fool. When he got the call in Izumo from Commissioner En to come to the big city and form a partnership with Tokyo's lead investigator, he did an extensive background check on the renowned young woman.

Over 150 cases solved in as little as over a two-year time period.

Most of them being murder or drug-ring cases.

And she wasn't even a day over twenty-one.

This was no ordinary young lady.

"And she's beautiful."There was no doubt about that.

But getting her to trust him was a whole different story. The first thing he needed to do was at least sit her down and talk to her. He didn't leave home just to quarrel with her. He wanted to get started just as badly just as she did. Maybe even more. He had built up a reputation back in Izumo almost as distinguished as hers. He needed to prove to her that he was nothing but reliable.

"Well, I got a weekend to try and figure things out...hopefully."

He smiled to himself dismissing the thought entirely, "Meh, it'll work out. No doubt about it."


	2. Old Scars

_-2- Old Scars_

* * *

She woke up to a phone call. Not exactly what she wanted on a Saturday morning. She hardly ever got time off from work, but this weekend, she wanted to utilize the days allotted to catch up on her beauty rest. She stuck a hand out from underneath her sheets and slammed it onto the cellphone sitting on the lamp post next to her bed. She read the caller ID: Jun Tao.

She flipped it open and pressed it to her ear, "What is it Jun? It's like six o'clock in the morning."

Jun replied back in a condensing tone, "Try 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Anna-chan."

Anna was usually wrong about the time of day since she kept her blinds closed when she was sleeping, so there was no point in even trying to defend herself.

She scratched her scalp and yawned, propping her head on her hand, "Did you need something?"

Jun's voice was pressing, "Yeah, I was just concerned about you. You stormed in and out of the office so fast yesterday that I didn't even have time to ask what was wrong."

Anna sat up in her bed and began to replay the rather unpleasant events that occurred the day before in her mind, "Yeah, it's nothing too bad I guess. The Commissioner just called me in and he introduced me to this guy."

There was a pause before Jun said anything, "You mean that guy that followed you out the office?"

"Yep, his name's Yoh Asakura."

Another pause, "He's pretty cute..."

The churning feeling in Anna's stomach returned, "I just got up Jun. I'm not in the mood for gossip. I'm not exactly elated to have an out-of-towner to be bothered with."

"You read up on anything about him?"

"No, not really interested."

"Well, that's why I took the liberty of doing it for you. Let me read some information I found about him."

Jun Tao was probably the best thing that happened to Anna since she started working at O.I.U. The jade-haired woman worked the front desk of her father's office, but was capable of far more. Whatever Anna was too pre-occupied to look into, or knew that further research required strenuous paper-work, Jun was there to assist her. The saying goes that behind every man, there is a great woman. In their case, behind every field operative, there is a formidable office worker as well. No sarcasm intended.

"Yoh Asakura, born May 12th, heir to the distinguished Asakura family. They're a renowned aristocrat family in Izumo. They're like a bunch of celebrities in a way. I'm pretty sure you've seen them on television once or twice, right Anna-chan?"

That much, Anna knew. Growing up, she had heard about the Asakura's and how they didn't shy from associating themselves with government business. In fact, along with many other tribes and families, like the Tao family from China, organizations like the O.I.U were formed to utilize people with the gift of seeing ghosts in everyday affairs, so they could fit in with normal people and not feel segregated. It was like a more complex version of an X-Men comic. The big difference is that there was a better international reception. And over time, countries began to integrate similar agencies across the globe that corresponded with one another like the Patch Agency in the United States and the Diethel Establishment in the U.K. There was even a park called the Ainu Reserve erected in Hokkaidō. Anna's problem with all that was the arrogance these foundations had. Focusing on just international affairs, one tends to forget about the little guy...more specifically, the little girl who was made fun of in school and shunned because she was an orphan and deemed a witch.

Well, that part of Anna's life was a thing of the past. No need to get sentimental. She was a big girl. And she could take care of herself along with many others now that she had the resources. She wasn't going to let the past repeat itself. Not if she had anything to do with it.

"Anything else you want to tell me?" by now, Anna was fully awake sitting on the side of her bed, dangling her feet slightly above the chilly carpet of her bedroom.

She could hear paperwork being flipped on the other line, then Jun answered, "Well, from the looks of it, he's a very decorated member of the P.S.I.A. He's been in service around the same time that you have and is no stranger to leading investigations." She paused again, "Oh, and it looks like he had a partner as well when he was in Izumo."

Anna blinked, suddenly curious, "You have a name?"

More paper flipping, "I have a Tamao Tamamura here: born June 17th, age, nineteen. Woah, that's pretty impressive. That's the youngest age I've ever heard of being able to join the O.I.U."

Jun was right. that was pretty impressive. And unheard of. But if Yoh had a partner back in Izumo, why did he take up the job here in Tokyo so eagerly?

"Do you know where she is now?"

"It…doesn't say. All I know is that she doesn't work for the O.I.U. anymore. Maybe she quit?"

"How long was her career?"

"It says about a year. She joined the latter part of Asakura-san's career in Izumo. Then, three months before he got the call to come to Tokyo, she dropped out of the records."

That didn't make sense. People don't just "drop" out of records like that. Anna thrived off information, and the lack she ahe had gained about her chummy little associate made her unsettled. Something wasn't adding up. This had the Asakura's political pull written all over it. Or maybe it was something else?

_What is this really about?_

"Jun, do you have Asakura's number?"

"Um, yeah, on record. Why?"

"I need to give him a call"

"Wait, wait, wait…you met him yesterday, and you didn't even get his number?"

Anna's frown deepened, "Like I said, I'm not happy about having a partner. You really think I wanted to get his number?"

Jun sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right, but seriously Anna-chan, if you two are going to work together, you're going to have to lighten up a bit. Maybe he's not so bad."

Anna rose from her bed and started towards her bathroom to freshen up, "…maybe, maybe not."

She was tired of being presumptuous. Now was the time for answers.

* * *

Yoh fidgeted in his seat and checked his watch.

_5 o' clock._

Who would have thought that after the rather intense meeting he had with Agent Kyoyama, she would be the one to call him out for a meeting. He was planning on calling her that Sunday and try to set up a meeting place, but this was unexpected to say the least. After the short delay he had with her on the phone about where to meet and what time, he threw on something nice and hopped into this car and sped towards his destination. Truthfully, he was a bit more excited than he cared to admit. He had been given reliable advice from the Commissioner that the woman was arrogant, brash, headstrong, and bad-tempered when angered. Common sense told him to be wary of her because anything he might say could set her off. But for some odd reason, he was comfortable with that. He even felt at ease. It felt nostalgic.

_Maybe because my grandmother acts a lot like her... _

He took a sip out of the coffee he had ordered. Hopefully, this meeting would help clear the air between them. He wanted to make a good impression on his first day on the job, but having to explain to his parents earlier that morning that his partner hated him upon arrival wasn't fun. But he was determined to make things right with her.

"It'll all work out."

He took another sip out of his coffee.

* * *

Their meeting was to proceed at the café at 5:30, and he saw Anna come walking through the door towards the table he had set for them right on time.

He smiled and stood to his feet to greet her, "Hi there. Nice to see—"

"Sit down," like a sergeant in the military giving an order to a private; he instinctively obeyed her, practically rewinding his first motion to shake her hand.

_So much for a pleasant meeting._

She sat across the table from him, her almond eyes unwavering and her face, stern and solid. He dare not look away from her. It baffled him how such a beautiful woman could produce such a seasoned expression.

"I have a few questions Asakura—"

"You know, you can call me Yoh if you want…"

He almost bit his tongue because of the look she suddenly gave him. Her eyes glazed over with immediate fury.

"I don't," she snarled.

"Um, alright," he managed to muster out an answer.

_Note to self: Anna hates being cut off._

Then, her questionnaire began after a few terrifying moments of silence:

"What made you want to take this reposition in Tokyo?"

He marinated on the question before answering. She was gracious enough to let him take the time tto concoct a reply. But her calculating gaze never left his, "Well, I've lived in Izumo all my life. I've always wanted to move to a big city, and the call I got from Mr. Tao was just the thing I needed to give myself that little push. I'm really grateful for the opportunity."

She seemed rather unimpressed with his answer, "What did your family think about it?"

His mind trailed off to the moment he announced his job offer to his family. His parents Mikihisa and Keiko were elated. There were enough hugs and kisses to last a lifetime.

_I'm so proud of you, dear._

_Do us proud son._

The reminiscence made him smile, "They were behind me one hundred percent, obnoxiously so."

The last part made him lightly chuckle, but her face never changed, not a smile, not anything. He produced a fake cough to cover up his lackluster amusement.

He obviously wasn't saying something right.

She continued, "Tamao Tamamura…"

"Excuse me?"

"I looked up your files and came across the name Tamao Tamamura. Records show that she was your partner back in Izumo for about a year, but three months before you got the call to come to Tokyo, she vanished from record. I'm asking you, do you know anything about that?"

They broke eye contact for the first time. The topic brought on a dark feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Yeah, I do," he was barely above a whisper "but you must understand; this is a sensitive subject for me."

His vague answer only brought on more curiosity, "I'm sure it is Asakura, but you must understand, being your new partner, I would like to know your relationship with your old one and why she suddenly quit. If you expect me to trust you, I'm going to need some answers."

He was silent for a moment, a long moment, "She didn't quit."

His voice faded off, "She was killed."

He began to replay the events like no one else was in the room:

"The UNSUB's nickname is 'Tengu'. That's was what he would write on the floor or on the wall next to his victims in their blood. His crime scenes were always in abandoned houses or low-profile areas where no witnesses were present. The victims were female, ages ranging from fifteen to about twenty five. They would either be strangled or their throats would be cut. The position of the body would always be on the back with their head straight up and the arms and legs rested naturally. My first impression was that it looked like an offering to something. There were candles. Lots of candles. There were no signs of a struggle, no physical evidence to lead us back to a DNA sample, nothing. And the most unsettling thing about the case was that wherever we found a body, the soul of the victim was nowhere to be found.

"Ten victims, ten women, ten incidents where I had to explain to devastated families that there was nothing I could do and lie to them that I would do everything in my power to try and stop him when I had already pulled out all the stops. There was no pattern to the murders, often sporadic and spontaneous, never happening in the same place, so we couldn't give the UNSUB a definitive profile. It was a hopeless game of 'cat and mouse'."

His eyes suddenly lost its vigor, "Then, it was rainy night. It was coming down hard, so I told her I would walk her home, but she insisted on going herself. She kissed me goodnight…and—and that…was the last time I saw her alive." Tears swelled up in his eyes, "I found her in a warehouse lying on a table. She was gone. There was nothing I could do, nothing I could—"

He was cut short by a hand that suddenly overlapped his on the café table. He snapped back into reality and looked at Anna across from him. Her eyes were shaky and wide. She looked as if she was about to cry. Her disposition startled him and he turned away trying to fight back tears of his own.

"I'm sorry," he heard her say. "I didn't know your circumstances. I should have never asked…"

His voice cracked in an attempt to reassure her, "N-no no. It's fine. I'm glad you asked. I was going to have to tell you eventually. We are partners now, right?"

"But you mustn't blame yourself for what happened, she said almost pleading. "You did everything you could." He was seeing a sympathetic side of her that he didn't know she was capable of. He could tell that she wasn't used to apologizing, so it made him smile.

"Thank you, I appreciate your concern."

Silence. For a long time.

_You're holding hands and staring, Yoh…_

She must have picked up on the notion because she pulled away and averted her eyes.

He began again realizing how awkward it had just gotten, "A-afterwards, Tengu disappeared. The murders stopped and the trail ran cold, but I continued my search for three months…but I was unsuccessful. Then En called me, and here I am." He looked back at her intently, "I know we didn't exactly get acquainted very well, and I know your reputation ensues that you don't really need much help, but I can only give you my word that I will not hesitate to expend all my resources in order to assist you."

Anna shook her head at him, "No, we'll help each other." She nodded as if agreeing to something she had said internally. "I apologize for my behavior earlier. I was being presumptuous of you. You were not what I expected. And it was not hospitable of me…I believe we can learn a lot from one another."

She stuck her hand out towards him and returned his smile. it was the first time she actually smiled, and it made him blush.

"Welcome to Tokyo, Mr. Asakura. I'm in your care."

He practically leaped from his seat to grasp her hand, Yes! Thank you very much! Same here!"

* * *

She left the café shortly afterward and made it to her car, and sighed heavily, slumping down in her chair.

_Damn it._

She was always internally chastising herself for not being sensitive to other people. She should have researched more about the Tengu case before confronting him about Tamao. But then again, she had no idea he was involved in that terrible incident in the first place.

No, no, she had peculiar distaste for people like the Asakura family anyway. But it wasn't exact prejudice. Yoh wasn't really the snob she had expected. And trying to justify herself wouldn't be true to who she was. She made a mistake and she would own up to it.

_He is a decent man._

A thought began to replay in her mind, much to her dismay.

_He said she kissed him goodnight…_

She started the car and drove off, _They sounded like more than partners._

She noted that, for some reason, she felt that it was useful information.

* * *

Yoh was in a very good mood. That meeting went a whole lot better than he had thought. He was practically skipping down the sidewalk grinning and humming to himself.

_Finally, she doesn't hate me. _

His phone rang.

He slid it open and moved his bangs from around his ear. He didn't have a moment to answer.

"Yoh-dono."

He stopped on the sidewalk.

"Amidamaru?"

"How are things going in Tokyo?"

Talking to Amidamaru was nostalgic. He was a close friend to the Asakura family.

"Things are fine here. I met with my partner. We should be working together by next week."

There was a pause on the other line, "That's good to hear…because unfortunately Yoh-dono, I have some unsettling news for you. Your expertise is required back in Izumo once again..."


	3. Calm Before the Storm

_—3— Calm Before the Storm_

Anna sat at her office desk reviewing the synopsis she had received from En on her laptop. She stared at the words and the portfolios, scanning over the files and pages she had been briefed a few hours earlier. Her eyes darted back and forth, relaying over important facts and discarded frivolous page-consuming sentences. It never really made sense to her as to why investigators made notes about absolutely nothing in reference to the case at hand. Who were they trying to prove by filling the sheets will useless banter?

She thrived off information, but there was a fine line between cold-hard facts and pretty words. That's why she got her job done so efficiently, because she cut out the middle-man, because she didn't beat around the bush, or any other type of resolute metaphor that one might want to throw in. She was very, very good at her job. And this next job she had been given would be another one in the pocket, nothing more, but she couldn't start without—

A haphazard knock came to her office door.

_Speak of the devil…_

"Come in," she said. The door creaked open and a cautious eye peered through the crack. No doubt about it, it was Asakura. She sighed, "I said come in already. Don't creep at my doorway."

He stepped inside dressed in suit and tie, and flinched when the latch shut tight.

"Anna, I apologize for coming in later than I originally planned. I was supposed to come in Monday, but—"

We can discuss that matter later when we have time. I do know that you wouldn't have left if it wasn't important. If you want to make up for lost time, the best thing you can do now is help me get to work. We got a case."

He immediately sat down in the seat in front of her desk, "What is it?"

She scanned her notes again before explaining, "There is a national park in Hokkaido ran by the Ainu tribe and apparently a major construction company is trying to make a dam, blocking the river that connects directly to the park. Since the Ainu's park is newly erected, they aren't getting the national support they thought they had amassed. So, the matter has turned into a personal affair. There are heated protests between the two organizations, and eventually, it lead to a murder. The killing move was at the base of the neck, severing the spine and killing the victim, Super Intendant Haruto Yamamoto instantly. He was killed with an ice sickle and was found in his office sitting at his desk. It was a stealth kill and the UNSUB fled the scene immediately through the office window. No finger prints, no murder weapon to process because by the time word got out that he had been killed, the sickle had melted, no shoe prints, nothing. Whoever the UNSUB is, they know what they're doing."

Yoh chimed in, "You said Super Intendant. It sounds like he was a premeditated target. So, the Ainu are fed up and started to strike out?"

She nodded, "Exactly, but the tribe is crying foul, saying they had nothing to do with it, but their actions speak otherwise. The leader of the Ainu has a son and daughter who are prime suspects in the murder case."

"So, how do we go about doing this case?"

She smiled, "How else? We're going to Hokkaido, first thing in the morning."

His eyes widened, "I always thought our first case would be somewhere local."

A sarcastic smirk appeared on her face, "You sound partial about going…"

She saw a glint in his eye and he smiled back at her, "Hell no, it sounds exciting. We flying there?"

"Yes."

"Can I get a copy of the notes you have? I'd like to look over them back at my place if you don't mind."

She already did, "Here you go." She handed it him as he rose from his seat.

"Thank you very much. Hey, you wanna grab a bite to eat?"

She rose as well gathering up her folders and belongings, "Sure, you're buying anyway."

He flinched again feeling the threshold of her subtle anger generate in the room. He knew that she wouldn't forget about how he so casually returned to Tokyo two days after he was due back. She was very clever utilizing his funds in order to vent. He had no choice but to comply, otherwise face her fury.

"Um, where do you want to go?"

"…the most expensive place in the city, of course. Being the rich boy that you are, I'm sure you know exactly where that place might be. I'm sure you can handle it."

He chuckled, _Anna, you're one interesting person, _"Alright then, I know exactly where we're going. You want a lift?"

She hesitated; for a moment, she didn't answer, but finally complied, "Sure, I was running low on gas anyway. Lead the way."

He opened the door for her as she shoved the rest of her paperwork into her briefcase and they were soon outside heading to his car across the street.

* * *

Yoh watched from across the table as Anna happily ate hundreds of dollars in sushi. A small smile was on her face as chewed away at the delicacies in _Sukiyabashi Jiro, _one of the most expensive and secluded sushi restaurants in Japan. He had to pull a few strings to make it happen, but he had bought the place out for the afternoon, so they had it to themselves.

"I don't even know what this is, but I like it," she said picking up another fried sushi roll. The taste obviously pleased her due the hand she placed on a chubby cheek as she finished her plate. She put her chopsticks down and clasped her hands together.

"Thank you for the meal."

He hummed in agreement, "You mind if I ask you something?"

She looked up at him with wary eyes as she took a sip of her tea, "What exactly do you want to know?"

"I don't really know," he shrugged his shoulders, but he smiled nonchalantly. "I just want to get to know who I'm working with is all. Who is Anna Kyoyama?"

The sip of tea was longer than she had intended as she lulled over the question, "Hmm…no harm in it I suppose. I do owe you in a way." She took another long sip of tea and sighed, "Well, I grew up here in Tokyo all my life. I kind of got a taste of both worlds living here. I lived with my mom in Yokohama when I was little. I never knew my father, but my mother would always go on about how amazing he was. And I knew she was right. I may not have known him, but I always got the feeling that he was watching over me. Life was good, just me and her, but when I was ten, I was home alone one night, waiting for her to come home from work, but she never did. The next morning, word got out that she was killed, thrown off a bridge and drowned."

An almost silent gasp escaped Yoh, "I'm so sorry."

She shook her head in her defense, "It's fine, really."

She continued, "My home was sold and all my belongings and I was put into an orphanage. After a little while, everyone forgot she was even killed. It was like she never existed. A year after that, I suddenly began to see ghosts and I was ridiculed and treated badly because of it, but being me, I endured and overcame it. Then, the O.I.U came along seemingly out of nowhere. People like your family and the Tao's and even the Patch Organization began to endorse the operation and the organization grew exponentially. I realized that many other people across the world had abilities like mine, and now we all had a way to utilize it for good. So, I swore to myself that I would make sure no other kid had to go through the ridicule of having their abilities by ridding Tokyo of the scum that run the streets. I wanted to be someone people like me could look up to. And I believe wholeheartedly that I'm doing just that."

She sighed, "Well, that's it. End of story. Anything else you want to drill me on?"

He wore a satisfied expression, "You're a really strong person, Anna, probably the strongest person I know."

She frowned apprehensively, "Sucking up won't get you out of paying this bill."

He laughed, "Haha, that wasn't my intent. I promise. But you must admit Anna, overcoming difficulty like that is no easy task."

She hardly acknowledged his praise as she stabbed at another piece of sushi, "I suppose you're right, but my success does not come self-satisfaction. It comes from knowing I helped someone in need. That's all that matters."

"Agreed."

There was a moment of silence before Anna spoke again, "I believe you owe me an explanation for why you had to go back to Izumo so suddenly."

"Oh, yeah that…I had to go back to greet my brother, Hao. He had come back from the U.K. I hadn't seen him in a few months."

He could tell she didn't know he had a sibling, "He's my twin brother. He's the one that took my father's place after he retired; he deals with the political affairs of my family."

"I see," she shook her head gaining new knowledge. "I think I've heard of him, now that you mention it. He's the one who helped establish the Patch Agency, right?"

He smiled, "That's him. He's a pretty amazing guy. I'm proud of him."

"So, why not go into politics yourself?"

"Sibling rivalry, I guess? Being brothers, we always fought over everything. He was more passive than me, but I could always tell he was proud of being the older brother. So, I branched out and did my own thing."

"…must be nice to have a brother."

He thought about it for a moment, "Well, it would seem that way, but as of late, he and I aren't actually on good terms."

She quirked an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"It has to do with Tamao. I think he blames me for her death. And in all honesty, I don't blame him."

She frowned which caught him off guard, "Don't do that. You sound like me when I was little. I tried blaming myself for my mother's death, but there are some things we simply cannot control. So, don't do that."

He was at a loss for words for a moment. It sounded more like a command rather than a comforting word. But it did fit her personality. He struggled to contain a chuckle. Strangely enough, it was her way of being compassionate. It fit her. He felt obligated to listen to her.

He rose from his seat, "You ready to go?"

She hummed in response leaving her seat as well and followed him out the door after he paid the bill.

* * *

The ride back to her car was silent. Anna sat in the passenger's seat with her hands neatly placed in her lap. At that moment, she didn't really know how to feel. She and Yoh's conversations proved to herself how unaccustomed she was with working with other people. She felt like she was in a personal confessional rather than a partnership. He seemed so much more open than she was. Was it something she was doing wrong?

"There's a park around the corner. We can take a walk if you—"

"N-no thank you."

Whatever she was feeling, she was going to have to dismantle them. This was strictly business. She wasn't much of a people person, and being forced to work alongside Asakura was dangerously bringing her out of her comfort zone. She was beginning to see a side of herself she never knew she had. And in all honesty, she didn't know if she liked it.

The car came to a stop, "We're here."

Thank God.

"Thanks for the food, Asakura. I'll see you in the morning," she was about to have the door open before Yoh caught her.

"Seriously, Anna, you can call me Yoh if you want. It sounds weird when you say it."

She paused sedately contemplating the option, "…I'll think about it."

She started to open the door once more, but again, Yoh began to speak.

"Your mother…what was her name?"

"It was Hanamei."

He smiled as if logging it into his memory, "I'll be sure to remember her if nobody else does. She sounded like an amazing woman."

She couldn't help but return a smile, "Thank you…Yoh."

* * *

She stepped out the car and walked across the street towards her own vehicle. She opened the door and stepped inside, again mentally exhausted. Why was she a disgruntled mess every time she was near him?

_Be honest with yourself, Anna_

Ok, he was undoubtedly handsome. And he was very kind, two qualities that meshed well together. He was a good listener, and he was very tolerant of what she felt were her vicious sides of her personality. Most would wince and cower in her presence, but he showed more respect than anything else.

_Yoh Asakura. _She started the engine and made her way towards her house. If she was going to be honest, she liked him…a little, but it would really come down to how they worked together as a team. What could he bring to the table that she couldn't do herself?

_You had better right about him, En._

She turned the radio on. A Daichi Miura song was on. "Hypnotized."

"Meh, I don't like this song…and Daichi is ugly as hell too."

She turned the radio back off and opened the top to her convertible. The weather was very nice.

She smiled.


End file.
